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Act 260 (HB 249) is one of ten bills that make up Louisiana’s 2017 Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) reforms. The goal of Act 260 is “to ensure that criminal justice fines and fees do not become a barrier to successful reentry.” This bill was to be effective on August 1, 2018; however, in the 2018 Legislative Session, it was pushed back to August 1, 2019. Act 260’s proper implementation is critical to the success of the overall JRI reforms.

On behalf of our activist community, I urge you to contact your senators and representative and ask them to support the Fair Chance Act, H.R. 1076 and S. 387. Introduced by Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Doug Collins (R-Ga.) and Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), this bipartisan legislation would aid prisoner reentry into society and lower crime rates, by delaying inquiries into criminal history for federal job and federally contracted applications until the conditional offer stage.

Following the enactment of transformative federal criminal justice reform legislation, the First Step Act, Congress and states have the green light to continue -- or, in many cases, start -- down this path. By bringing the tough-on-crime mentality in alignment with smart-on-crime approaches, state and federal justice systems can enhance public safety and fairness by reducing crime while simultaneously reducing prison populations nationwide.

Promoting postsecondary education for Michigan prisoners is not just smart for public safety. It also has the potential to encourage a positive, safer community behind bars; to increase incarcerated individual’s economic potential; and to create healthier, stronger communities